Review of ‘This Mirror Weighs A Ton’, Interpol’s eighth album
“This Mirror Weighs A Ton” It is already the eighth studio album in the locker Interpoland serves to reconfirm that the New York band has a powerful personality of its own capable of making its music recognizable almost instantly. And, at the same time, it shows that the group continues to search for unprecedented nuances with which to enrich what would be their own catalog. Thus, “This Mirror Weighs A Ton” affects the non-negotiable qualities of Interpolalthough he takes the opportunity to point out certain news.
An album that could be assimilated, at least for a good part of those pieces that compose it, as more minimalist and, incidentally, more introspective than its previous releases. “This Mirror Weighs A Ton” It throws and leads to specific sensations of melancholy, sadness and even bewilderment, common elements in the Interpol universe, of course, but which here lead to what could well be a particularly somber work. However, in full duality, it can also be understood as a beautiful, distinguished and exciting album, which highlights the contrast between beauty and the melancholy inherent in the line of Interpol. A conclusion that has to do with the inspiration of some solid and suggestive songs that work as well separately as they do by breathing a special pulse into the whole.
The recognizable (although nuanced) voice of Paul Banks contributes to this, running through the entire album, showing himself to be a performer with a classic vibe. For their part, Daniel Kessler’s guitars are still there, with less presence in favor of the keyboards, but still decisive when it comes to shaping a song with its own weight. The post-punk with which Interpol attracted attention more than two decades ago oozes here ethereal, hypnotic and almost magical in pieces like “Enemy”, the six minutes of “Bird And The Serpent”, “Sudden”, the elegant “Ever The Actor” or in that immeasurable beginning that gives the title to the release and represents one of the most mysterious moments in the entire career of Interpol. There is also no shortage of direct and sharp pieces, in case of “See Out Lous”, “Wake Up” either “Wings Of Fire”, with the single “Iron City” acting as a link between both worlds.
“This Mirror Weighs A Ton” It has the quality of resonating familiar while providing unprecedented tones and proudly displays a series of songs with hardly any fissures, designed to move away from immediacy and with the intention of seeking a progressive depth, the type that, once achieved, remains unchanged over time. An additional success that, if that were not enough, includes a good handful of cuts to add to that noble area where the collection of eternal songs signed by the combo accumulates.
